User's Guide
Chapter 3 - Installing Debian

This section is Progeny specific and does not apply for the standard Debian system. Rewrite desirable.

Please refer to the official documents: Installation Manual (stable version) and Installation Manual (testing version) if you have any doubts.

This chapter explains how to install Progeny Debian for the first time.

If you want to:

• Upgrade an existing Debian or Debian-based operating system, .

• Do identical installs on different machines, See Automating Multiple Installs, Appendix A.

Progeny Debian features a graphical installer. The installer automatically detects many types of hardware, and suggests many settings.

If you do not need a graphical display, you can use text-mode from the second stage of the install onwards. The first stage of the install uses a basic vga mode which almost every system should be able to support.

If you run into problems, you can usually follow the settings suggested by the installer and get a working system.

After configuration, you can fine-tune the configuration from within Progeny Debian.

Installation should take 30-60 minutes. The exact time depends on your choices, your experience, and the speed of your system.

[Note]

If you have already installed Progeny Debian on your system, use the Add/Remove Software option to upgrade your system rather than reinstalling. Unlike some commercial distributions, Progeny Debian is not designed to reinstall over an existing system.

Installation consists of five steps:

• Organizing the install.

• Installing the minimal system.

• Configuring Progeny Debian.

• Selecting and installing software.

• Installing Software on the Extras cd .

3.1 Organizing the Install

Immediately before installing, you need to:

• Prepare for the install.

• Choose the order in which to install different operating systems.

• Decide on your install source and prepare for its use. Progeny Debian can be installed from:

• A floppy and cd.

• A cd.

• A network.

• Start the install.

3.1.1 Preparing for the Install

Collect the information about your system that you need, and have it handy during the install. Depending on how you choose to install, this information may include:

• The partitions on the hard drive and which ones already contain an operating system.

• The manufacturer and model for your video card, monitor, and printer.

• Settings for your network or for your internet connection.

In addition, back up any information that you do not want to lose. Errors or power surges and interruptions during the install could lose or corrupt it.

For complete information about preparing for an install, See Preparing to Install Debian, Chapter 2.

[Note]

Linux partitions created using PartitionMagic are incompatible with the Debian install program. If you have any, delete them and re-create the partitions using parted or Debian fdisk.

3.1.2 Installing Multiple Operating Systems

If you are going to install more than one operating system on the same machine, install all versions of Windows first. Otherwise, the Windows installation program may destroy your ability to start other operating systems or encourage you to reformat partitions with other operating systems.

You can recover from these actions or avoid them, but installing Windows first saves you trouble.

3.1.3 Preparing a CD or Floppy Installation

Depending on your computer, you may need to change the boot order in the bios so that you can start from a cd or floppy.

[Note]

You only need the floppy if your computer cannot start from a cd .

The boot order is a listing of the drives that your computer tries to start from, and the order in which drives are tried. Your machine starts with the first operating system that it finds.

How you change the boot sequence may depend on whether you have an ide or scsi system.

3.1.4 Changing the Boot Order on IDE Computers

• 1 As your computer starts, press the keys to enter the bios utility. Often, it is the Delete key. However, consult the hardware documentation for the exact keystrokes.

• 2 Find the boot sequence in the setup utility. Its location depends on your bios , but you are looking for a field that lists drives.

  Common entries on ide machines are C, A, cdrom or A, C, cdrom .

  C is the hard drive, and A is the floppy drive.

• 3 Change the boot sequence setting so that the cdrom or the floppy is first. Usually, the Page Up or Page Down keys cycle through the possible choices.

• Save your changes. Instructions on the screen tell you how to save the changes on your computer.

[Note]

Remember to change the boot order after the minimal Progeny system is installed, so that you restart your machine from the hard drive.

3.1.5 Changing the Boot Order on SCSI Computers

• 1 As your computer starts, press the keys to enter the scsi setup utility.

  You can start the scsi setup utility after the memory check and the message about how to start the bios utility displays when you start your computer.

  The keystrokes you need depend on the utility. Often, it is Ctrl-F2. However, consult your hardware documentation for the exact keystrokes.

• 2 Find the utility for changing the boot order.

• 3 Set the utility so that the scsi id of the cd drive is first on the list.

[Note]

If you need to use the floppy drive, follow the instructions for changing the boot order on ide computers. Floppies are never scsi devices.

• 4 Save your changes. Instructions on the screen tell you how to save the changes on your computer. Often, you must press F10.

3.1.6 Installing From a Floppy

If your computer cannot start from the cd drive, you need to start from a floppy disk:

• 1 Check that the computer is set to boot from the floppy drive. See Preparing a CD or Floppy Installation, Section 3.1.3.

• 2 Place the Install floppy in the floppy drive.

• 3 Place the Progeny Debian cd in the cd drive.

• 4 Restart your computer. The installation program begins.

3.1.7 Installing From a Network

A network install provides a single install source for multiple machines. When doing a network install, you might want to create an auto-install floppy. See Automating Multiple Installs, Appendix A.

If you do not understand networks, do not attempt a network install without the help of your system administrator.

• 1 Insert the Progeny Debian cd or install floppy . Then restart your computer. A text screen opens, giving instructions for a network install. A command line is at the bottom of the screen.

• 2 At the command line, type: linux nfscd host:path options

  You must enter the host and the path.

  If you have a dhcp connection, the network configuration is automatically detected. Otherwise, you may need to add other options.

                        Typical Network Install Options               
         +---------------------------------------------------------------+
         |  Option  |                    What It Does                    |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |broadcast=|The address used for transmitting (broadcasting)    |
         |          |packets to all hosts on a network.                  |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |gateway=  |The address of the machine that is the default route|
         |          |to machines not on the local subnet.                |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |host      |The nfs server.                                     |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |ipaddr=   |The address of the machine on which you are         |
         |          |installing Progeny Debian.                          |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |nameserver|The address of the systems that provide hostname    |
         |=         |lookup services to your system.                     |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |netmask=  |The bitmask that defines the part of the system's   |
         |          |network address that identifies the network.        |
         |----------+----------------------------------------------------|
         |path      |The path to the network-mounted or nfs -mounted cd  |
         |          |drive from which you are installing.                |
         +---------------------------------------------------------------+

3.1.8 Installing Progeny Debian Without a Graphical Display

The Progeny Debian installer is designed primarily for users who want a graphical display. However, you may decide not to use a graphical display (the X Window System) if you are an experienced user, or are installing a server.

If you do not want a graphical display, note the following steps:

• Start the minimal install with the command linux secondstage= text. The minimal installation will use a generic vga display, but the other stages will be text based.

• At the start of the configuration stage, do not select X configuration.

• During the software installation stage, do one of the following:

• De-select the pre-selected gnome and X Window package set.

• Leave the default package sets, then remove the gnome and X Window package set once Progeny Debian starts.

3.1.9 Navigating the Install Program

The install program detects your mouse so that you can use it during the install.

The install program uses a simple set of buttons for navigation:

• Back: Returns you to the previous screen.

• Next: Moves to the next screen.

• Cancel: Exits the install program.

In some cases, a button may not be available until a task is completed.

3.1.10 Navigating Without a Mouse

If your mouse does not work in the install program, you can use the keyboard to navigate the menu choices. Later, you can configure your mouse in the Pointer screen or after the install.

To navigate the install program without a mouse, use:

• The left arrow key or Shift-Tab key to move between buttons and selections in the current screen.

• The space bar to select an item in the current screen.

• The Enter key to activate choices.

3.1.11 Opening a Virtual Terminal for Troubleshooting

If you have trouble installing Progeny Debian, you can open a virtual terminal:

• During the minimal install stage, press Ctrl-Alt-F2. Press Alt-F7 to return to the install.

• During the configuration stage, middle-click anywhere on the screen except for the window.

• During software installation, the output displays for you.

You may also want to open a virtual terminal if you need to use parted to partition your hard drive before installing.

3.2 Installing the Minimal System

Installing the minimal system is the first stage in the installation of Progeny Debian. Installing the minimal system consists of three steps:

• Selecting the target installation: Determining which hard drive and partitions are used.

• Partitioning your hard drive: Creating and formatting the partitions for the install.

• Configuring the system start-up: Choosing whether to use the grub boot manager, an existing boot manager (such as lilo ), or no boot manager.

Once you have made your choices, the necessary partitions are prepared and the minimal system is installed.

• 1 Start your machine with the Install cd and, if necessary, the Install Floppy.

  See Preparing a CD or Floppy Installation, Section 3.1.3 See Installing From a Floppy.

  A text introduction appears. img/Installing.png

• 2 Do one of the following:

• Start a network install by entering a command at the prompt at the bottom of the screen. See Installing From a Network, Section 3.1.7, or press F1. or

• Set the install program to use a non-graphical install after the minimal installation. The minimal install uses a basic vga mode that should be usable on any computer. At the command prompt, type: linux secondstage=text, then press the Enter key. or

• Start an install by pressing the Enter key. In all cases, the install program starts to load. After a moment, the install program starts and the Welcome screen opens. img/Installing.png

img/Installing.png

During the minimal install, you can troubleshoot by opening a virtual terminal. Press Ctrl-Alt-F2. To return to the installer, press Alt-F7.

• 3 Select the Next button. The Select Installation Target screen opens.

img/Installing.png

• 4 Select your installation target. See Selecting the Installation Target, Section 3.2.1.

  Each target uses your hard drive in a different way:

• Entire drive: The entire hard drive is used for the install. A Linux swap partition of 125 megabytes is created for you. The rest of the drive is used for a Linux partition.

• Free space: Only the free space on the hard drive is used. The first available free space on any hard drive that is greater than one gigabyte is used for the install. The Linux partition is as large as possible. The swap partition is 125 megabytes in size.

• Custom partitioning: The hard drive is used the way that you decide.

img/Installing.png

Back up all important information before doing custom partitioning. Otherwise, you may lose information.

• 5 Do one of the following:

• If you selected Entire disk, choose the hard drive to use. Then press the Next button.

img/Installing.png

img/Installing.png

If an error dialog opens, asking whether you want a new partition table created, select the No button. Otherwise, all partitions on your hard drive are destroyed.

Before continuing, use the Install cd to start your system, then used parted from a virtual terminal to create partitions.

• If you selected custom partitioning, divide your hard drive the way you want if you selected Custom partitioning. Then press the Next button. See Creating and Editing Partitions, Section 3.2.2.

img/Installing.png

If you are installing over an existing Progeny Debian installation, select Custom install and re-format the partitions. Otherwise, the reinstall may fail.

In all cases, the Configure System Startup screen opens. img/Installing.png

• 6 Choose the boot loader to use:

• Use grub : By default, Progeny uses the Grand Unified Bootloader (grub) .

  If you previously installed another boot loader, you may need to edit grub to add other operating systems. See Configuring the Boot Loader, Section 13.3.4.

  If you are already using grub, and have Windows on the first partition of the first hard drive, an entry for Windows is automatically created.

  If you have Windows installed on another partition, you must manually reconfigure grub to start Windows. See Configuring the Boot Loader, Section 13.3.4.

• Use a different boot loader: Select if you plan to keep using a different boot loader, such as lilo, that is already installed. You may need to edit entries after configuration.

  grub is loaded on to the root partition for Progeny Debian.

• Do Not Install a Boot Loader: No bootloader is used. The standard master boot record on the computer is used.

  You will only be able to use Progeny Debian until you set up and configure a bootloader.

• Create a Startup Floppy: Select this option to create a boot floppy as an alternate means of booting your system.

img/Installing.png

Do not select both Create a Startup Floppy and Do Not Install a Boot Loader together. If you do, then the floppy will not be bootable.

When choosing this option, you should know that:

• Booting from a floppy is considerably slower than other choices.

• All information on the floppy is over written. Back up any important information before creating the floppy.

• The install floppy that comes with the Progeny Debian box set can be used as a recovery disk, but the one created with this option is specific to your system. Select the Next button when you are finished. The Preparing System Screen opens.

• 7 Wait while the installer partitions and formats your hard drive, then installs the minimal system. The Preparing System screen displays the progress.

img/Installing.png

img/Installing.png

Progress for formatting the disk shows the percentage of partitions created, not the total amount of hard drive space formatted.

Installing a minimal system takes about 10 to 15 minutes. When the minimal system is installed, the Next button is enabled. Press the Next button to complete the minimal system installation. The Finish screen opens. img/Installing.png

• 8 Press the Finish button to restart your system so that you can configure it. See Limitations of the Partitioning Tool, Section 3.2.3.

• 9 Remove the Install cd when instructed to by the install program.

img/Installing.png

img/Installing.png

If necessary, change the boot order of your computer to start it from the hard drive. If you forget, restart your computer and try again.

3.2.1 Selecting the Installation Target

Selecting the Installation Target is the first step in configuring the minimal system. Unless you select Custom partitioning, it is also the only step.

Each installation target uses your hard drive in a different way.

If you are unsure of which to choose, study the advantages and disadvantages of each target to decide which is best for you.

                    Installation Targets for Progeny Debian               
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |         Advantages         |            Disadvantages             |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |Entire Disk                                                        |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |                            |  * You lack full control of the      |
     |                            |    process.                          |
     |                            |  * Information is lost unless you    |
     |                            |    back it up.                       |
     |                            |  * The default setup may not be what |
     |  * You do not need any     |    you want, especially if you are an|
     |    special knowledge.      |    advanced user.                    |
     |  * It's quick.             |  * A single large disk can be        |
     |                            |    inconvenient. For example, when   |
     |                            |    fschk is used at bootable, you may|
     |                            |    need to wait a long time.         |
     |                            |  * You cannot use this option if you |
     |                            |    have multiple operating systems on|
     |                            |    the system.                       |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |Free Space                                                         |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |  * Information is not      |  * The hard drive must have enough   |
     |    destroyed.              |    continuous space for the necessary|
     |  * Existing partitions are |    partitions.                       |
     |    kept.                   |  * You lack full control of the      |
     |  * You do not need any     |    process.                          |
     |    special knowledge.      |  * The partitions created may be     |
     |  * It's quick.             |    smaller than you want or need.    |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |Custom                                                             |
     |-------------------------------------------------------------------|
     |  * You fully control the   |                                      |
     |    process.                |                                      |
     |  * You decide whether to   |  * You must understand what you are  |
     |    keep existing           |    doing.                            |
     |    partitions.             |  * You could destroy information by  |
     |  * You can put major       |    accident.                         |
     |    directories such as /   |                                      |
     |    home or /usr on         |                                      |
     |    different partitions.   |                                      |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

3.2.2 Creating and Editing Partitions

img/Installing.png

When you select Custom partitioning as your installation target, the Edit Partitions screen opens. Using the Edit Partitions screen, you can create, delete, or edit partitions.

Partitions are divisions of your hard drive.

You need at least a root partition before you can continue the install. You should also add a swap partition for virtual memory.

If you want, you can also create other partitions.

For example, many Linux users prefer to have personal files on a separate partition to make back ups easier. Similarly, some put printer queues on a separate partition to limit their size.

To create or edit a partition:

• 1 Select a partition to edit or a block of free space in which to create a partition from the Edit Partition screen. Your selection is highlighted.

img/Installing.png

For detailed information about the Edit Partition screen, see Reading the Edit Partition Screen, Section 3.2.2.1.

• 2 Select the New or Edit button. In both cases, the Partition screen opens.

img/Installing.png

• 3 Enter the features of the partition. See New and Edit Screen Fields, Section 3.2.2.2.

img/Installing.png

If you are editing an existing partition, you cannot change the type or size. Nor can you make a swap partition bootable.

You must have a root partition. In addition, you probably want a swap partition. You may also want to create other partitions.

You can change the mount point of an existing partition without losing the information on it.

However, if you select the Format? box, you lose all information on an existing partition as soon as you continue the installation.

• 4 Select the ok button when you are finished. You return to the Edit Partition screen.

  If you were creating a partition, the partition is now listed, and the entry for Free Space is either smaller or no longer listed.

• 5 Repeat steps 1 to 4 for each partition that you want to create or edit. Remember not to format existing partitions without backing up important information.

• 6 Select the Next button to carry out your changes to your hard drives.

  A confirmation screen appears. img/Installing.png

• 7 Select the Yes button to continue with the install.

img/Installing.png

Changes to your partitions are not made until you select the Next button.

If you change your mind about partitions that you create or edit, you can select the Undo All button to return the hard drive you selected to its original state.

You can also use the Back button to choose another installation target.

3.2.2.1 Reading the Edit Partition Screen

     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |Column|                        Information                         |
     |------+------------------------------------------------------------|
     |      |The directory from which you access the partition in the    |
     |Mount |Linux directory structure.                                  |
     |Point |                                                            |
     |      |To be readable from Linux, all partitions must have a mount |
     |      |point except the swap partition.                            |
     |------+------------------------------------------------------------|
     |      |The Linux name for the hard drive or partition. (***)       |
     |Name  |                                                            |
     |      |Drives are displayed in a tree structure, with partitions as|
     |      |branches of the tree.                                       |
     |------+------------------------------------------------------------|
     |Size  |The size of the partition in megabytes or gigabytes.        |
     |------+------------------------------------------------------------|
     |      |The state of the partition.                                 |
     |      |                                                            |
     |      |Usually, the only statuses that you see are:                |
     |      |                                                            |
     |      |  * To be mounted: The partition is ready for use, and will |
     |      |    be mounted, but is not going to be formatted.           |
     |      |  * To be formatted: The partition needs to be formatted    |
     |Status|    before it is ready for use.                             |
     |      |  * Bootable: The partition is listed as bootable in        |
     |      |    Windows. If a Windows installation is on the first      |
     |      |    partition, the installer detects it and sets it as      |
     |      |    Bootable automatically.                                 |
     |      |                                                            |
     |      |[Installing]                                                |
     |      |No changes are carried out until you select the Next button.|
     |------+------------------------------------------------------------|
     |      |The format or filesystem of the partition. Possible formats |
     |      |are:                                                        |
     |System|                                                            |
     |      |  * Linux ext2: The native Linux format.                    |
     |      |  * Linux swap: The Linux swap partition.                   |
     |      |  * Free Space: No format.                                  |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

***) See Reading Linux Device Names, Section 2.2.5.

3.2.2.2 New and Edit Screen Fields

     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |  Field   |                        Choices                         |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |          |Select the Format? box to format the partition All      |
     |File      |information is lost.                                    |
     |System    |                                                        |
     |Flags     |To avoid difficulties, select this option if you are    |
     |          |installing over an existing Progeny Debian install.     |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |          |The format of the partition. Possible formats are:      |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |  * Linux ext2: The native Linux format.                |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |    This format is the one most commonly used in Linux. |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |  * Linux swap: The Linux swap partition.               |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |    This format is used for virtual memory, which may   |
     |          |    improve performance. You can have as many swap      |
     |File      |    partitions as you have space for.                   |
     |System    |                                                        |
     |Type      |After you install, you can recompile your kernel to add |
     |          |support for other types of filesystems. Linux can       |
     |          |support over two dozen filesystems, including fat16 (   |
     |          |msdos in Linux), the format used by dos and early       |
     |          |versions of Windows.                                    |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |fat 32 ( vfat in Linux) is supported by default in      |
     |          |Progeny Debian. fat 32 is the format used by recent     |
     |          |versions of Windows.                                    |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |Several types of journalled filesystems are also        |
     |          |available.                                              |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |          |The directory from which you read the partition.        |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |You can select the directory from the drop-down list or |
     |          |enter it in the field. Choices from the drop- down list |
     |          |are:                                                    |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |  * /: The root or top directory in the tree.           |
     |          |  * /boot: Files needed to start Linux.                 |
     |          |  * /home: Users' home directories and personal files.  |
     |          |  * /tmp: Temporary files.                              |
     |          |  * /usr: Common system files for all users.            |
     |          |  * /usr/share: Common system files for all users,      |
     |Mount     |    including many basic programs.                      |
     |Point     |  * /var: Variable files, including logs and queues.    |
     |          |  * /var/spool: Queues for information, such as print   |
     |          |    jobs.                                               |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |A common place for non-Linux partitions is in the /mnt  |
     |          |directory. For convenience, you can call the mount      |
     |          |points by their Windows name. For example: /mnt/C.      |
     |          |                                                        |
     |          |You must have at least a root directory before          |
     |          |continuing with the install. In addition, a swap file   |
     |          |gives better performance, enabling you to use virtual   |
     |          |memory. Putting other directories on different          |
     |          |partitions can make backing up or recovering easier.    |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |          |Select the Bootable? box to include the partition among |
     |          |the possible choices when you start the computer.       |
     |Partition |                                                        |
     |Flags     |To be bootable, the partition must either have an       |
     |          |operating system installed, or else be the one on which |
     |          |you plan to install Progeny Debian.                     |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |          |The size of the partition.                              |
     |Partition |                                                        |
     |Size      |To change the size, either enter the size directly in   |
     |          |the field or use the arrow keys to change it.           |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |Partitions|Choices are primary or logical.                         |
     |----------+--------------------------------------------------------|
     |Units     |The units of measurement for the partition size:        |
     |          |megabytes (mb) or gigabytes (gb).                       |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

3.2.3 Limitations of the Partitioning Tool

Currently, you cannot:

• Resize an existing partition. Instead:

• a Back up the information on the partition.

• b Delete the partition.

• c Create a new partition of the size you want.

• Change the format of an existing partition. Instead:

• a Back up the information on the partition.

• b Delete the partition.

• c Create a new partition with the format you want.

• Mount existing partitions not in ext2 or swap format. Mount these partitions after the install by editing /etc/fstab. See Mounting Drives When the System Starts, Section 13.3.2.1.

3.2.4 Working Around Incompatible Partitions

Partitions created by some versions of Windows or PartitionMagic are incompatible with the install program. If an error dialog displays, asking if you want to create a new partition table, select No and exit the install program if you want to keep your existing partitions.

To work around this problem:

• 1 Backup all data on all partitions.

• 2 Start your system using the Progeny Debian cd as a boot disk.

• 3 When the install program starts, press Alt-Ctrl-2 to start a virtual terminal.

• 4 Use the parted utility to create new partitions. See Partitioning a Hard Drive, Section 13.3.1.

3.3 Configuring Your System

Configuring your system is the second stage in installing Progeny Debian. It occurs after the minimal system has been installed, and you have restarted your computer.

Configuration should take about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your knowledge and your computer system's speed.

If you need more information, select the Help button to the right of an item.

Configuration takes you through a series of screens to configure the different aspects of the system. You can choose which aspects to configure.

Once installation is complete, you can use the tools you used during the installation by selecting them from the System menu of the gnome Control Center.

3.3.1 Starting the Configuration Stage

After the minimal system has been installed:

• 1 Select the Finish button from the final screen. Your computer reboots.

• 2 Remove the Progeny CD and floppy from their drives when the install program instructs you. Your computer restarts.

• 3 If necessary, change the boot order on your machine so that it starts from the hard drive. See Preparing a CD or Floppy Installation, Section 3.1.3.

img/Installing.png

If your forget to change the boot order, restart your computer and try again. Restarting your machine a second time does not affect the install process.

After a moment, the Insert cd-rom screen opens.

• 4 Put the Progeny Debian Install cd into the drive and press the Enter key.

  After a moment, the System Configuration screen opens. img/Installing.png

img/Installing.png

If your video card or monitor is not detected automatically, text-based installation screens open. For details on how to use these screens, See Configuring the Video Card, Section 3.3.9 See Configuring the Monitor, Section 3.3.10

img/Installing.png

If you started the installation program with linux secondstage=text, then the configuration stage is text-based instead of graphical.

• 5 Select the Next button to start the configuration stage of the install program. The Select Options to Configure screen opens.

img/Installing.png

Middle-click anywhere on the screen except the window to open a virtual terminal for troubleshooting.

3.3.2 Selecting Options to Configure

img/Installing.png

• 1 Select the options to configure. By default, all options are configured except X configuration. You must configure Users and Electronic Mail.

img/Installing.png

If you want a desktop, select X configuration.

Most users should configure all options. However, if you decide not to, you can configure from the desktop.

• 2 Select the Next button to continue. The Date and Time Screen opens.

3.3.3 Setting the Date And Time

img/Installing.png

• 1 Under Time Zone, select your Region from the drop-down list.

• 2 Select your Time Zone from the drop-down list. The list varies with the region that you select.

• 3 Select the options you want:

• The System set to utc box to set the system to Greenwich Mean Time.

• The path to your Network Time Server, if you have one.

• 4 Under Date and Time, select the month. The arrow on the left move the month backward, while the arrow on the right moves it forward.

• 5 Select the year. The arrows on the left move the year backward, while the arrow on the right moves it forward. If you move the month from December to January, the year changes automatically.

• 6 Select the day by highlighting it on the calendar.

• 7 Enter the hour, minute and seconds. In each field, you can either enter highlight the current entry and over write it or else use the arrow keys to change it.

• 8 Set the time to am or pm . If you prefer a 24 hour clock, you can reset the date later using the date command.

• 9 Select the Set Date and Time button. Press the Next button when you are done. The User screen opens.

3.3.4 Configuring Users and Passwords

img/Installing.png

User configuration has three steps:

• Setting the root password.

• Creating a regular user (optional, but recommended).

• Setting password strength.

Before entering passwords for either the root or new user, you might want to See Configuring Password Levels, Section 3.3.8.

3.3.5 Choosing a Secure Password

A secure password is one that is hard to crack. That is, it is:

• A mixture of letters, numbers, symbols, and of upper and lower case.

• At least six characters long.

• Not based on anything associated with you, such as a birthday, a spouse's name, a pet, or a favorite sports team or movie.

• Not a common word found in a dictionary.

• Different from your passwords on other machines.

• Different to your user account.

• Not written down anywhere.

3.3.6 Setting the Root Password

The root user has full access to the system. Ordinarily, the root account is used only for administration and configuration. See Starting and Stopping the System and Graphical Interface, Chapter 4.

• 1 Enter the password for the root user (The user account for the root user is "root"). See Configuring Password Levels, Section 3.3.8.

• 2 Re-enter the password to confirm it.

img/Installing.png

Unless the two passwords match, a warning displays before you move to the next screen.

3.3.7 Creating a Regular User Account

A regular user account has limited access to the system. Even if you know the root password, ordinarily you do most of your work in a regular user account. See Starting and Stopping the System and Graphical Interface, Chapter 4.

• 1 Leave the check box beside "Create new user" selected. Press the Next button. In almost every case, you want to create at least one regular user account. After installation, you can create other user accounts as necessary.

• 2 Enter a user name for the account. Typically, the user name is some combination of your first and last name, such as jmacdonald.

• 3 Enter the full name for the account. The full name may or may not be identical to the user name.

• 4 Enter a password for the account. See Configuring Password Levels, Section 3.3.8.

• 5 Re-enter the password to confirm it.

img/Installing.png

Unless the two passwords match, you receive a warning before moving to the next screen.

3.3.8 Configuring Password Levels

• 1 Select one of the following:

• Maximum Strength: md 5 passwords are enabled. The default is to enable them. md 5 passwords add security to your system. They also allow passwords longer than 8 characters long.

• Compatible with unix -like Systems: md 5 passwords are not enabled. md 5 passwords may be incompatible with older systems, or ones on a network that using a Network Information System (nis) Unless you have compatibility problems, accept the default of Maximum Strength.

• 2 Leave the appropriate box checked to enable shadow passwords. With shadow passwords enabled, passwords are encrypted and stored in a file readable only by the root user. Shadow passwords are a standard security measure. However, they sometimes cause problems on networks that use a Network Information System (nis). Unless you have compatibility problems, accept the default and enable shadow passwords.

• 3 Select the Next button to continue. If you chose to configure the graphical display, the Video Card screen opens. If you did not choose to configure the graphical display, the Electronic Mail screen opens. See Configuring Electronic Mail, Section 3.3.14.

3.3.9 Configuring the Video Card

img/Installing.png

Information about your video card is detected automatically by the system. However, you can change this information if necessary.

img/Installing.png

Choosing settings that are not supported by your video card could damage it or the monitor.

• 1 Enter a name or identifier for your video card configuration. After the install, you can see this name in the XFree86Config file.

• 2 If necessary, select the X server package (graphic display driver) to use. In most cases, you can use the one suggested by the install program. If you have trouble choosing an X server package that works, try xserver-xfree86 or xserver-vga.

• 3 If necessary, select the manufacturer and driver to use. In most cases, you can select the one suggested by the install program. If you have trouble configuring the video card, use one of the generic settings at the bottom of the list. Generic vga or Generic vesa should work with most cards.

• 4 If necessary, enter the amount of video memory for the card. In most cases, you can leave it blank.

img/Installing.png

This setting is provided for older cards and for trouble shooting.

Under most circumstances, Progeny Debian automatically detects the video memory available.

• 5 Select the Next button. The Monitor configuration screen displays.

3.3.10 Configuring the Monitor

img/Installing.png

Information about your monitor is automatically detected. However, you can change these settings if necessary.

img/Installing.png

Choosing settings that are not supported by your monitor could damage it or the video card. Consult the monitor documentation for the correct settings.

• 1 Select a name for your monitor setting. You can find this name after the install in the XFree86Config file.

• 2 Select the Simple, Medium, or Expert button to choose the means of configuring your monitor:

• Simple: Select the monitor size from the drop-down list. Then select the ok button.

• Medium: Select the resolution that you want to use from the drop down list. Then select the ok button. Your choice should not be greater than the highest resolution supported by both your monitor and your video card.

• Expert: Enter the Horizontal Sync Range and Vertical Refresh Rate for your monitor. If you do not know these statistics, 30-130 for the Horizontal Sync and 60-160 for the Vertical Refresh should work for most monitors. img/Installing.png

Simple and Medium modes or the suggested Horizontal Sync Range and Vertical Refresh Rate may not always give the best settings for your monitor. If necessary, you can change the settings after the install.

• 3 Select the Next button to continue. The Desktop screen opens.

3.3.11 Setting the Desktop Graphic Display

img/Installing.png

From the Desktop screen, you can set the resolution and color depth for the graphical display on your system.

Settings for the graphic display depend on the capabilities of your video card and monitor. If you did not collect this information before installing, See Gathering Hardware Information, Section 2.1.2.

img/Installing.png

Choosing settings that are not supported by both your video card and monitor could damage either piece of hardware.

• 1 Select the resolutions to support. By default, your desktop starts in the highest resolution supported, but you can change the resolution:

• Temporarily, by pressing Alt-Ctrl-keypad+ to cycle through the available resolutions.

• Permanently, by editing the XFree86Config file.

• 2 From the drop-down list, select the color depth, or the number of colors that your desktop will use. Fewer colors mean a less realistic display of graphics, but a faster redraw time. However, if you have a video card with more than 4 megabytes of memory, for most purposes you can use the highest available color depth without any trouble. img/Installing.png

Choosing settings that are not supported by both your video card and monitor could damage either piece of hardware.

• 3 Select the Next button to continue. The Pointer screen opens.

3.3.12 Configuring the Pointer

img/Installing.png

The pointer is usually a mouse. However, it can also be a trackball, a palette, or any other device that replaces a mouse.

If you have been using the mouse during the install, you can accept the settings listed. However, if your mouse is not working, you adjust the settings.

• 1 Select the port to use. In most cases, it is /dev/ttyS0 (com1) or /dev/ttyS1 (com2) for a serial mouse, or /dev/psaux for a ps2 mouse.

• 2 Select the protocol or driver to use. If you are using a serial mouse, then select the name of the manufacturer from the drop-down list. Use ps2 for a generic ps2 mouse. If you cannot find a protocol for your mouse or pointing device, select Auto to have it detected automatically. You can also try different protocols to see if your mouse can use them.

• 3 Select Emulate 3-button mouse if you have a 2 button one. With three button emulation, pressing both buttons on the pointer is the same as pressing the middle button on a three-button pointer. Linux is designed for use with a three button mouse, so most users of two-button mouses should choose this option.

• 4 Select Enable scroll-wheel event to use a scroll wheel. If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you probably want this option.

• 5 Select the Next button. The X Server screen opens.

3.3.13 Setting Advanced Graphic Display Options

img/Installing.png

From the X Server screen, you can set advanced options for your graphical display. If you are unsure what these settings mean, use the defaults.

• 1 Select who can use a graphic display from the drop-down list:

• Root Only: Only the root user.

• Anybody: All users, whether local or remote.

• Console Users Only: Users can only start the graphical display when working from the local keyboard and monitor.

• 2 Select the process priority. This setting determines what share of your system's resources are given to the graphic display at any given time.

img/Installing.png

Changing the priority for your graphical display can seriously affect system performance. Do not change this setting from -10 unless you are sure what you are doing.

• 3 Select the Next button. The Electronic Mail Configuration screen opens.

3.3.14 Configuring Electronic Mail

img/Installing.png

Unless set to local only, e-mail requires a network or dialup connection. You can configure a network during the install process or after. A dialup connection is not part of the install program, but you can set up one after the install process.

If you need help with the choices on this screen, consult your system administrator or Internet service provider.

• 1 Select the General mail setup. Choices are:

• Internet Site: The same machine that originates the mail sends it and receives any incoming mail.

• Internet with smarthost: A dedicated server delivers mail. This setting is often used when you are connecting to an Internet service provider.

• Satellite system: No mail is delivered locally. Mail is delivered only through the smarthost.

• Local only: E-mail can only be sent and received by users on the present machine.

• No configuration: No e-mail is configured.

• 2 Enter the outgoing mail hostname. Consult your system administrator or isp provider for the hostname needed.

• 3 Enter the incoming mail hostname. Consult your system administrator or isp provider for the hostname needed.

• 4 Enter the smtp relay host. Consult your system administrator or isp provider for the hostname needed.

• 5 Check the appropriate box if you want a world-writable mail drop. A world-writable mail drop allows users to receive mail directly, instead of only through your network's mail system. It is faster, but can be a security risk. If in doubt, do not select world writable mail drop.

• 6 Check the appropriate box if you want to use "procmail" for local mail delivery. Procmail lets you filter incoming messages and deliver them to folders other than your Inbox. You can use other tools to filter, so, if in doubt, do not use procmail. See Directing E-Mail Using procmail, Section 13.4.6.1.

• 7 Select the Next button. The Printer screen opens.

3.3.15 Configuring Printers

img/Installing.png

In this screen, you can configure printers for your system.

• 1 Select the Printer definition to create or edit. If you have not created a Printer definition already, you can only select New.

• 2 Enter a short name and a long name for the printer definition. These names can help you identify the printer. The short name appears on the printer spool, that stores files before they are sent to the printer, and in configuration files. The long name is used mainly to help you identify the printer. At some companies, printers are named with a theme, such as animals or famous people. However, names based on some combination of the manufacturer, model, and or path name of the printer may be easier to work with.

• 3 Select the location of the printer:

• Local: the printer is attached to the machine on which you are installing. You need to enter the device to which the local printer is attached. Usually, the device will be the first parallel port, /dev/lp0.

• Remote: The printer is on a network to which your machine is attached. You need to enter:

• The hostname: The machine to which the printer is attached.

• The printer name: The name of the printer on the system to which it is attached. If you do not have this information, consult your system administrator.

• 4 Select the printer driver from the list. Printers are listed by manufacturer, then by model. If your printer is not listed, it may be able to emulate one that is. Try Hewlett-Packard Laserjet drivers for both postscript and non-postscript printers.

• 5 Select the Apply button to enter the printer definition.

• 6 Add any other printer definitions by repeating this process. Notice that the definition you just entered is now listed in the drop-down list of printers.

• 7 Select the default printer. If you entered only one printer definition in the previous screen, then it is already listed as default.

• 8 Select the default paper size. If you are in North America, you can use the default Letter. If not, you probably want A4.

• 9 Select the Next button. The Network screen displays.

3.3.16 Configuring the Network

img/Installing.png

Network configuration is used not only for a network, but also for a cable or dsl internet connection. If you are an end-user, ask your system administrator or internet provider for the settings you need.

• 1 Enter a hostname for your machine.

• 2 Select one of the following:

• No network configuration: Continue the install without setting up a network. If you want to add network support later, you can do so after the install.

• Configure with dhcp: Network information is assigned automatically by the dhcp server. The dhcp hostname is assigned by an isp to your machine. This setting is optional. In most cases, it can be ignored.

• Use manual settings: Enter the settings needed for the network:

• Domain name: The name of the machine on which you are installing Progeny Debian.

• ip address: The address of the machine on which you are installing Progeny Debian.

• Netmask: The bitmask that defines the part of the system's network address that identifies the network.

• Gateway: The address of the machine that is the default route to machines not on the network.

• Name Servers: The address of the system that provide hostname lookup services to your system.

img/Installing.png

Check with your system administrator or Internet Server Production for the entries that you need.

• 3 If your network connection is through a pcmcia or Cardbus network card, select the box beside Main network device is removable.

• 4 Select the Next button. The Finish screen opens.

img/Installing.png

• 5 Select the Finish button to complete the configuration stage of installation. A bar graph displays the progress while the system is configured.

img/Installing.png

When your choices are entered, configuration is complete. The Available Software screen opens.

3.4 Selecting Software to Install

[tasksel does similar thing]

img/Installing.png

Selecting software is the fourth stage of a Progeny Debian installation. Software is arranged in package sets. You can double-click on a package set to select individual packages.

Progeny Debian pre-selects the following package sets:

• Character-mode mail and news clients.

• gnome applications.

• gnome desktop system.

• Mozilla

• Netscape

• X Window System

img/Installing.png

De-selecting the pre-selected packages then selecting Apply could remove parts of the operating system that you want to keep. Instead, use the Revert button and select packages individually.

The time taken to install other software depends on your choices, and the speed of your machine. However, in most cases, choosing and selecting the software should take 15 to 20 minutes.

• 1 Decide what package sets to install. To gather information to help you decide:

• Select a package set: A brief description displays in the bottom pane.

• Double-click on a package set: A window displays the packages that make up the set. If you have any familiarity with Linux, you can decide which packages to select.

• Refer to the table at the end of this section. This table helps you decide whether you need a particular package set.

• 2 Select the software to install. When a package set is selected, the box beside it has a check mark and its name displays in red.

img/Installing.png

Some packages are already selected. Do not de-select them unless you are sure what you are doing.

The lower right corner of the window shows the status of the package set and how much space all your choices and the base system need. The total space used should be greater than the total space of all your Linux partitions (not including the swap file). Consult the table at the end of this section for help in selecting software. img/Installing.png

The Extras cd contains other software that you can install from the desktop, including the kde desktop.

• 3 Select the Apply button to start installing the packages. The Package Manager Output screen displays messages about the installation.

img/Installing.png

If you de-select default packages, use the Revert button instead of the Apply button. Otherwise, you could remove essential parts of the operating system.

If screens may appear to ask for clarification during installation, consult the Help screens. In most cases, you can use the suggested settings. If the pane showing the progress of the install stops at a Y/N question, in most cases you can safely enter y (for "yes"). When the install is finished, the graphic display starts and a log in screen opens.

• 4 Do one of the following:

• Log in as root to configure other parts of the system or to install software on the Extras cd . or

• Log in with your regular user account to start using your Progeny Debian system. or

• Reboot to make sure that any initial services that are needed by the choices you have made during the install can start.

img/Installing.png

Although you can explore your Progeny Debian System immediately, plan on rebooting the system soon after you finish the installation process, just to make sure that everything is working properly.

                             Software Package Sets                        
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+
     |    Package     |   CD   |                   Use                   |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Apache web      |Install |Sets up the system as a web server.      |
     |server          |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Bind Domain Name|Install |Makes the system a Domain Name Server.   |
     |Server          |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Character-mode  |        |Command line mail and news clients.      |
     |mail and news   |Install |                                         |
     |client          |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |dhcp server     |Install |Makes the system a dhcp server.          |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Debian package  |        |                                         |
     |maintenance     |Install |The creation of Debian (.deb) packages.  |
     |tools           |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Document        |        |Document tools, including TeX, LaTex,    |
     |preparation     |Install |sgml and xml.                            |
     |tools.          |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |ftp server      |Install |Makes the system an ftp server.          |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |                |        |Productivity applications, such as a word|
     |gnome           |Install |processor and spreadsheet.               |
     |applications    |        |                                         |
     |                |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |gnome desktop   |        |The default Progeny Debian desktop.      |
     |system          |Install |                                         |
     |                |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |gnu emacs       |Install |The gnu emacs editor.                    |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Games           |Extras  |A collection of games.                   |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |                |        |Productivity applications for the kde    |
     |kde Office      |Extras  |desktop, such as a word processor and a  |
     |                |        |spreadsheet.                             |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |kde Desktop     |Extras  |An alternate desktop.                    |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |kde Desktop     |        |                                         |
     |system          |Extras  |Files needed to develop programs for the |
     |(Development    |        |kde desktop.                             |
     |files)          |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Linux 2.2 smp   |Install |Linux kernel compiled for multi-processor|
     |                |        |support.                                 |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Linux 2.4 kernel|Install |Linux 2.4 kernel.                        |
     |(experimental)  |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Linux 2.4 kernel|        |                                         |
     |with smp support|Install |Linux 2.4 kernel compile for             |
     |                |        |multi-processor support.                 |
     |(experimental)  |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Miscellaneous   |        |Print filters for various formats,       |
     |print filters   |Install |including TeX, dvi , and assorted        |
     |                |        |graphics formats.                        |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |                |        |Open source web browser, e-mail client,  |
     |Mozilla         |Install |and news browser.                        |
     |                |        |                                         |
     |                |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |nfs server      |Install |nfs/nis server.                          |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |                |        |Non-free web browser, e-mail client, and |
     |Netscape        |Install |news browser.                            |
     |Communicator    |        |                                         |
     |                |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Open ldap client|Install |Client support for using ldap servers.   |
     |software        |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Open ldap server|Install |Server and support files for setting up  |
     |software        |        |an ldap server.                          |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Samba ( smb     |        |Suite of programs that allows Linux      |
     |protocol) server|Install |systems to share files and printers with |
     |                |        |Windows systems over a network.          |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Scripting       |Install |Scripting tools, such as tk/tcl.         |
     |languages       |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Software        |        |A complete set of tools for developing   |
     |development     |Install |software.                                |
     |tools           |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Squid internet  |Install |Proxy server for web and ftp clients     |
     |object cache    |        |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Window managers |Install,|Alternative window managers.             |
     |                |Extras  |                                         |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |                |        |Provides graphical display.              |
     |X Window System |Install |                                         |
     |                |        |A default selection.                     |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Xemacs          |Install |An enhanced version of emacs designed for|
     |                |        |desktop use.                             |
     |----------------+--------+-----------------------------------------|
     |Vim             |Install |An enhanced version of the unix text     |
     |                |        |editor vi .                              |
     +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

3.5 Installing Software From the Extras CD

Progeny Debian includes an Extras cd with additional software, including the kde desktop, a popular choice for a graphical display.

To install software from the Extras cd:

• 1 Log in to the system as the root user.

• 2 Open a command line by selecting the icon on the top panel.

img/Installing.png

• 3 At the prompt, type: apt-cdrom add. Then follow the on-screen instructions, placing the Extras cd into the drive to add its package sets to the list on your system.

• 4 From the menu in the top left corner of the screen, select Programs > System > Add/Remove Software.

img/Installing.png

The Configure Software screen opens. The screen resembles the one that you used to add software during the install, except that now it includes the contents of the Extras cd as well.

• 5 Select the package sets to install.

• 6 If you choose, double-click on a package set to view or select the individual packages in the set.

• 7 Select the Apply button to install the software.

The installation of your Progeny Debian system is now complete.

If you need to fine-tune the system configuration, use the System tools in the gnome Control Center. They are similar to the screens that you use during installation.

If you want to add software or upgrade the system, use the apt-get utility or select Programs > System > Add/Remove Software from the main menu. Re-installing over an existing Progeny Debian system is often difficult.

If you do re-install, backup all important information and reformat the partitions you are using.

User's Guide